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Wednesday, December 31, 2014

More Blessings

Here's the continuation of my previous countdown, or Top 10 List, of Blessings:

6) My cell phone battery has been dying; after about 20-30 minutes of usage my phone will completely shut off. I have prolonged its use by connecting it to an external battery pack. However, I was stressing over having a reliable phone to take to Mexico. When I looked into getting a new phone, the phone companies here wanted to lock me in to a two year contract, which I can't commit to now prior to moving to another country. My friend suddenly posted that she had a used iPhone she was looking to sell: my answer to prayer. I was still stressed though, as I knew I didn't have enough money to buy the phone, and I'd been praying about how I'd afford it. The next night when I went to work church nursery, a couple from my church (who had seen my friend's and my Facebook posts about the phone) offered to purchase the phone for me. I couldn't restrain myself and burst into tears as their generous offer and my humbleness for how God provided yet again. I'm still humbled at the size of their and His generosity.

7) This December, I had driven by Starbucks one afternoon and had a craving for a peppermint mocha. After resigning my teaching position, Starbucks has not been in my budget since at least August or before. I drove on by, knowing it still wasn't in my budget and was just a "want" not a necessity. A couple of days later I received a Christmas card with an unexpected Starbucks gift card in it. It was something so little, but it touched my heart that God hears and answers big and little things. And I was reminded that, if I'm not busy blessing myself, God may just have the opportunity to surprise and bless me more. God's even greater than that though! When I went to use the gift card, I found a $5 bill in the parking lot, and then when I entered the code from my receipt online, I won another free peppermint mocha! Triply blessed in less than 10 minutes!

8) Knowing I'd have another 2 unpaid weeks in December, when schools are off for Christmas break and don't need substitute teachers like myself, I knew I'd have difficulty covering my January rent. One of my friends generously gave me a Christmas blessing and contributed towards my next month's rent. Additionally, two of my friends have offered to let me move in with them (my cats and all!) until I leave for Mexico. (I think I'll be moving in with them in late January.) It has been a huge blessing to be able to have these two weeks off to instead work on getting ready to move, having time to work on fundraising, and having time to enjoy the holidays with my parents and friends.

9) My family completely overwhelmed me with, not only their generosity but their selflessness with Christmas gifts! My sisters, brothers-in-law, and parents left me speechless (that's quite a feat!). I believe I cried as I opened every gift from them (each one a box containing a letter from a family member and money), and the story unfolded that they agreed this year not to exchange any gifts with each other, but instead to donate all the money they would have spent on gifts towards supporting my missions work in Mexico over the next two years.

10) As I prepare to start fundraising in full-force, God has provided in awesome ways. Just as I was going to have my fundraising post cards printed, I found out that I could instead pay to print them myself at my church and save myself nearly $150. Several people stepped up to help me get my postcards ready and printed. Furthermore, several church members already contacted me about making year-end tax-deductible donations towards my mission work in Mexico.

These have just been some of my Top 10 Blessings, but there have been countless other blessings (like gas is down to just $1.79 a gallon?!). I am most humbly blessed, and I am so grateful that each blessing also feels like affirmation for stepping out in faith and answering His new calling in my life.

I am becoming more and more prepared for Luke 12:48, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

I also find peace in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."